Dear Parents and Staff Members,

As we head into the long Labor Day weekend, I am reflecting on how to capture the spirit of the holiday. It is a day that is meant to honor the hard work of so many Americans. Their work is critical not only to our economy, but to our community. 

As I thought about what to say, I was immediately drawn to Wednesday night when I sat through the night and into the morning at Amy Imai Elementary’s campus. School was canceled that day because a sewer line was broken and the water had to be turned off. The repair work was complex and arduous. I sat with a crew of men who do not live in Mountain View, but were committed to the same mission that we had, which was to work into the night in order to make repairs and reopen the school. 

It wasn’t just those men. I am grateful for the neighbors who tolerated the loud noise. It was the City who chipped in to vacate sewage from the line and to check in on the project. It was our maintenance team that provided tools and support. It was our Imai teachers, staff and our principal who worked to support each other with communication and to ensure students would be safe. It was our parents and our community who were flexible with childcare so that our kids could remain home while crews worked.

As I sat there in the dark, I talked with parents and community members who walked by. I kept hearing the same thing; people were truly invested in our community and were proud of the work that was being done to support our students. I think it is instances like these that go unnoticed and should be celebrated. Each person, from the police chief who informed the 911 operators about unplanned construction noise, to our district maintenance teams, to the City crews, to Thomas Plumbing, to our Chief Business and Academic Officers who helped with logistics, to our Public information Officer who worked late to keep the communication going, the Board of Trustees who checked in and provided encouragement throughout the night, and of course to the crew at Therma that finally was able to fix the issue at 4:30 a.m. Each person toiled together to make sure that our students at Amy Imai would be able to return to school the next day.

To me, that is Labor Day. It is people working selflessly toward the common good of the community.  There was camaraderie, laughter, respect, encouragement and a genuine desire to keep each other going through the heat of the day and the stillness of the night. Although this story is unique, it illustrates the support, encouragement, respect and unity that are evident across our district, community and nation every single day.  I’m grateful to work alongside and with so many people from many walks of life who are committed to the community. I deeply respect our public servants working in schools, government, social services and the post office who toil day in and day for the benefit of our community.  I give my heartfelt thanks and my gratitude to our entire community.  

Respectfully,

Ayindé Rudolph, Ed.D.
Superintendent